The ultimate holistic skincare routine.

Trying to figure out the best routine for glowing, glass skin can often lead to more questions than answers. Do you need ten steps? When and how frequently should you exfoliate? Should you cleanse in the morning? Maro Weidmann, Head Esthetician at Slope Wellness, says the perfect skincare routine is actually quite simple.

What to Know About Holistic Skincare

The perfect holistic skincare routine focuses on nurturing your skin from the inside out, using gentle, natural products that protect and enhance your skin’s natural barrier. It starts with what you eat. “Our daily diet influences the appearance of the skin a lot, more than any other supplement,” Maro says.

So before you spend time on your skincare, be sure your house is in order. Cut sugar and processed carbs, eat lots of protein and a colorful variety of fruits and vegetables, drink water, and stay active. “That’s the most important thing,” Maro says.

Evening Routine

1. Cleanse
Holistic estheticians like Maro prefer oil cleansers like Laurel’s Deep Clarity over foaming cleansers. “We don’t want to strip our natural oils away that the skin needs to protect itself,” she says. Use gentle, circular movements across your face, neck, and chest.

2. Lymphatic Brush (Optional)
If you want to include a lymphatic face brush in your routine to stimulate lymph flow and decrease puffiness, do it here. Just make sure your face is dry after you cleanse.

3. Exfoliate (Every 3 Days)
You don’t need to exfoliate every day; you shouldn’t! “No matter what skin type you have, do a light exfoliation every three days,” Maro says. Use an enzyme-based exfoliant, such as Laurel’s Honeyberry Mask, to gently remove dead skin cells, particularly in the summer when you use more SPF.

4. Mask (Weekly)
Once a week, Maro includes a moisturizing mask in her routine, like the Cornflower Mask or the Brightening Mask. “If you have hyperpigmentation or sun damage, it will lighten up the skin,” she says of the latter.

5. Use Hydrosols or Herbal Infusions
As a holistic esthetician, Maro doesn’t use toners or anything with alcohol. Instead, she uses hydrosols, water-based products with distilled fresh flowers, leaves, fruits, and other plants, for extra hydration. Rosemary hydrosols or the Hydrating Elixir II soothe the skin, preparing it for serum.

6. Apply Serum
Use an antioxidant-rich serum to repair and nourish your skin overnight. Laurel’s Antioxidant Serum is an excellent choice.

7. Facial Massage (Optional)
“You take time to go through your emails or your social media. You watch TV. It takes five, ten minutes every night while you’re doing your skincare routine to use a roller or a gua sha tool to drain and lift your skin,” says Maro. You want your tools to glide and not drag your skin, so use them after you put on your serum oils. Not sure which tool to use? Go with your gut. “Buy something that you like, and it will be easy for you to use,” Maro says.

8. Use Moisturizer/Balm
Seal everything into your skin with a final balm or rich moisturizer without active ingredients like retinol or vitamin C.

Morning Routine

1. Cleanse (Optional)
If you follow the nighttime routine, there’s no need to wash it all off in the morning. “You don’t want to start cleansing all over again after seven, eight hours. What’s the point of that?” Maro says. Instead, use a soft fabric like muslin or organic cotton with warm water as a compress to freshen up.

2. Use Hydrosols or Herbal Infusions.
Follow your warm compress with a few sprays of your hydrosol.

3. Apply Antioxidant Serum
Our skin needs many antioxidants, especially in the summertime, when we spend more time in the sun and in and out of pools with chemicals and salty oceans.

4. Moisturize
Use a lighter moisturizer, such as Laurel’s Day Balm, during the day.

5. Apply Sunscreen
During the day, sunscreen with at least 30 SPF, such as IS Advanced Smartblend Mineral 75 SPF, should always be the last thing you put on your face, neck, ears, and chest. And remember to reapply throughout the day!

Tips:

• Add an eye cream before your moisturizer if you feel like it. 

• Eat hydrating foods like watermelon and berries.

• Wear hats, sunglasses, and UPF clothing to protect your skin from the sun.

• Get good sleep!